OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2676, 28 June 1905, Page 8

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

P*»ou Oto Special Cobbesfondent.) BRADFORD, April 28. "LOCKS AND, PIECES."

Study your flocks as you do your Dbn't feed the- fewes too highly directly &fter lambing. If your land is poor, you cannot farm profitably without the help of a flodk of sheep. I "That the ram is half the flock," is a common expression. Do not let it be the wrong half. With' the large number of high-class breeders of all breeds of sheep jtihere is no reason why a useful ram cannot ibe bought for comparatively little more Sfchan mutton price, and such a ram is more likely to effect good than one which is wather better in apearance, but carelessly fcred. . . i A ram from a good flock carries with it ,' me features of the flock, although in itself it may not be one of the best representatives, and' it will impart no worse features than it shows outwardly. . On the other hand, a ram bred crooked, although in itself showing good size and type, is more or less an accident, and Cannot be relied upon to breed straight. ! Any of the features of its mongrel ancestors may be reproduced, and when there as no fixity of type in the sheep itself it .cannot be expected to impart definite character to its offspring. It is for this reason that it is recognised that the first cross between two pure J>reeds is always good, combining the better {features of both breeds, while the second ■crosses produce stock of varying type. fWhen this goes on for three or four crosses Ihere is no definite type, and the offspring lis a mongrel. It may be a good mongrel, sbut it' can only be relied upon to beget mongrels, and they probably may not parvtake of his good features. 'In sheep husbandry there is one thing '"that must be observed and not overlooked, , and that is thrift. Thrift means health, gain in quality, quantity and productiveness ; hence profit, and profit is what wo jare after. It should always be the object of a flook"snaster to keep his sheep in a thriving condition. Tho quality of tho wool as well a» its quantity and the general productiveness of the flock demands this System. Now the question is, What are the essentials of thrift? I hay, good feed, water, and close attention of tho shepherd. It is .

the worst possible practice to allow the sheep to fall away in flesh as th© grass falls in the autumn. - The increasing wool conceals the shrinking .carcase, much to the disappointment of the careless flockmaster. Better confine them in the yard than allow them to ramble about in some field in- search of food, which furnishes a little green feed, but too light to be of any real value. The most important point for the prospective buyer or breeder in the selection of ewes suitable for breeders is thoroughly to post himself on the type of the breed h© expects to purchase. Have an understanding of the true type of the breed you are selecting, and have some idea of what you want to produce. In the selection of breeding ewes from c strange flock, it has been my purpose always to try to get as much constitution as possible, provided they had the required amount of breed type. By what I mean, the animal , must be pleasing to the eye, and in the Shropshire we like a good, long, low-down sheep, with short legs of flat bone, and set. as near the outside of "the body as possible. In the ewe the neck must be of medium length and not too thick, chest well extended to the front, with good, wide crops, and shoulders squarely placed.

With these points well developed, you must get a strong constitution. The ribs must be well sprung, and the loin must be wide and thick, with the quarters full and round, and as near down to the hook as possible. We must also see that we have a good dense fleece of medium wool, and free from all dark wool as possible to get it. I might say that if you have a good, strong-constitutioned ewe do not discard her even if she ladks some of the minor points necessary in a show animal, such, as having, a little dark wool on the legs, or having a little dark wool around the eyes. Some of the most profitable animals I have ever raised for farmers' purposes have been thoie with some of the minor faults previously described. I claim that constitution is the foundation of all improvement. In breeding, discard as soon as possible all animals lacking robust constitution, no matter how many other points they may have in their favour, as you will never succeed without a vigorous constitution. The modern mutton sheep must be a wool producer. Our future wool supply must come largely from sheep grown primarily for mutton. It is essential, then, that a mutton sheep have a good fleece, as well as a good carcase. This combination is both practicable and profitable. It is no longer regarded necessary to grow one" sheep for a fleece, another for a carcase, and another for a lamb. The intelligent flockmaster combines them all in one class. Some of the best mutton sheep are producing as profitable fleeces as

those kept exclusively for wool, and their lambs are decidedly superior. The tendency in improvement of the wool-producing qualities of modern breeds has been towards carrying the fleece more completely over the head, face, limbs, and lower line. The advantage is not so much in the increa-sed yield of wool grown on these parts, as that is of little consequence, but in the accompanying tendency to a larger and better yield of wool in all partws. A bare-faced and bare-legged sheep is always a relatively light shearer, and in contrast with this the sheep woolled from "the eyes to tho toes" always yields a heavy fleece, and tho wool is generally of a better quality than from those having a scanty covering. A "GROWING FIRMNESS IN CERTAIN QUALITIES. The market this week has be-en broken into by Easter holidays and 'Change frequenters Lave been glad of a little respite from the daily monotony of coming down to business. One feels all the better fit for work after a little holiday; hence, mills have been standing, and men given tip generally to a tour abroad. Conditions generally are a duplicate of when I last wrote, and any change of note is in the direction of a harder feeling for 46's and upwards, with 40's all about stationary. Nothing will now be done until London opens next week, and another firm series should obtain. Outside buying influence will, no doubt, have a little effect upon the market, but if matters are left entirely in the hands of Bradford we cannot expect to see any firmer or better values than what obtained last series. At the same time, I cannot help but think that anything above 46's will show a hardening tendency, while if 40's maintain last sales' closing rates there will be good grounds for thankfulness. In regard to the latter, a gcod deal will depend upon -the attitude of the Continent and America, for there ia no doubt that Bradford will want to buy coarse crossbreds at a fraction cheaper than last series. It is just a question as to how outside forces rally as to whether 40' a wool will maintain its present position, there being no more trade done in these wools in Bradford. The late Japanese contracts are now a thing of the past, but the fact that the prospects of peace are more remote than ever encourages the be>lief that some more will soon be coming f) hand, and this will undoubtedly stimulate coarse wools again. There continues to be a good oall for short carding wools, both for the Continent and America, and anything fine and only average length sell next series with rare avidity. Good ♦o's prepared tops are the weakest article on the market, and 13d is to-day's selling price by some of our very best makers.

Some South American wools are being sent from Bradford to America, and some decent shipments of English are also again being made. Irish wools are worth no ir.orei money than last quoted, and not a big business is being done. All English wools are Id per lb higher in proportion t> similar qualities of New Zealand origin, and buyers generally are prepared to look o-i and await developments, till the new clip comes round. Mohair is slow, but a more cheerful feeling prevails.